Poinsettia named Red Curly

ABSTRACT

A new poinsettia cultivar of the curly type originating as a hybrid seedling and being distinguished by the dark red color of its bracts and the unique shape of the leaves and bracts which are abundant in number and are carried on strong, straight stems of medium height, the bracts being in a generally imbricated arrangement and forming a round cushion-like appearance with a diameter of from about 5 to 71/2 inches.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This new poinsettia was produced as a hydrid by crossing variousseedlings or mutations, including Ecke's Flaming Sphere (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 1,052), at my breeding facilities at Encinitas, Calif., and thisvariety was selected by me from many red curly seedlings because it wasthe best red. I reproduced this plant in my greenhouse at Encinitas bycuttings and carried on such propagation through several successivegenerations which demonstrated that the novel characteristics of thisplant would hold true from generation to generation and appear to befirmly fixed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new poinsettia plant is illustrated by the accompanying full colorphotographic drawings, of which the upper view shows a pair of pottedplants of this variety in side elevation and the lower view shows thesame plants as seen when looking downwardly from above the plants, thecolors shown being as nearly true as is reasonably possible to obtain byprofessional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a description of this new poinsettia cultivar asobserved in greenhouse at Encinitas, Calif., the color designationsbeing according to The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling.

Parentage: Unknown, but Ecke's Flaming Sphere (U.S. Plant Pat. No.1,052) is in the generation line.

Classification:

Botanic.--Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Commercial.--Pot poinsettia.

Form: Shrub.

Height: Medium.

Growth habit: Vigorous with little natural tendency to branch. After astem is pinched back, only two or three branches will form. Cuttingsfrom this plant produce roots under greenhouse conditions the same aswith other poinsettias.

Growth rate: Normal for poinsettias.

Foliage: Abundant in quantity.

Leaf shape.--The shape is predominantly ovate and often dentated. Mostleaves are mono or bi-lobed on each side of the midrib and the midrib isconvoluted through about 30° to 120° of arc with the upper surface ofthe leaf being the outer surface of the curve.

Leaf size.--The leaves average about 3 to 5 inches long as measuredalong the midrib and about 3 to 5 inches wide.

Aspect.--Upper side -- Dull with veins indented. Under side -- Dull withordinary veining.

Color.--Upper side -- Between RHS 139A and 147A but somewhat darker.Under side -- Between RHS 137A and 137B.

Retention.--Good, but not as long as the Hegg type of poinsettias.

Bracts: The bracts form a round cushion-like appearance with an averagediameter of from 5 to 71/2 inches. The bracts are in a generallyimbricated arrangement and the individual bract tips form acounter-clockwise swirl when looking down onto the top of the plant.

Shape.--The shape of the bracts is generally ovate but with a longacuminate tip.

Size.--The bracts are usually in the range of 21/2 to 4 inches long.

Color.--Upper side -- Between RHS 45A and 46B. Under side -- Near RHS46C.

Ribs and veins.--The ribs and veins are near the color of the bracts andare therefore inconspicuous.

Petioles.--The petioles are quite short, about 1/4 to 1/2 inches long,and are inconspicuous.

Retention.--Good. The bracts last longer than the leaves.

This cultivar is unique as a poinsettia because of the leaf and bractshape, which may be described as being puckered and curled as thoughcaused by the foreshortening of the leaf midrib as by pulling adrawstring inside the midrib.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinctive poinsettia cultivar, substantially asherein shown and described, distinguished by the unique puckered andcurled shape of the leaves and bracts, the bracts having a solid andoverall dark red color and being in a generally imbricated arrangementso as to form a cushion-like appearance around the flowers of the plant.